Teaching device



A ril 3, 1928.-

A. COOPER TEACHING DEVICE Filed Oct. 18. 1926 Patented Apr. 3, 1928. V

UNITED STATES ALFRED COOPER, OF STOWMARKET, ENGLAND.

TEACHING DEVICE.

Application filed October 18, 1926, Serial No. 142,463, and in Great Britain October 31, 1925.

This invention relates to appliances for teaching arithmetic and has for its object an improveddevice oifering increased psychological advantages whereby the pupil is enabled to visualize the quantities denominated by numbers.

The improved device further enables a pupil to visualize the concrete processes involved in addition and subtraction, and further serves to imprint on the pupils mind a vivid visualization of the mental processes involved in the operations and so impress the pupil that he can readily bring the same to mind whenever required and employ them readily in'solving problems based on numbers 1 to 10.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which a Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a guide in front elevation and sectional end view,

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate in front and end view a set of ten laminar devices adapted for use with the guide shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

Fig. 5 being a view of the obverse side of the upper laminar device of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 illustrating the said guide with two of the said devices inserted therein.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate front and back views of a further laminar device for use with the guide of Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 9 illustrates a modification of the guide.

Referring now to the drawing, the guide, Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a front plate 41 and a. back plate 42 the latter extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate 41 as clearly shown.

In the form illustrated, the guide is formed of composite parts, the front and back plates 41, 42 being separated by a spacing strip 43 having extensions 44, 45 at its ends adapted when the parts are assembled as illustrated in Fig. 2 to leave an open slot 47 between the front and back plates terr minated by stops 48, 49 at its upper and lower ends. That part of the lies over the slot 47 is pierced with ten holes 50 as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the holes being divided into two groups of five and each group of five being arranged on the arms of an obtuse angle of nearly 180 degrees, the

front plate 41 which,

holes contained in the borders are slightly stepped relatively to each other for distinctiveness. The holes are marked with numerals 1 to 10 also arranged at an obtuse angle to each other as shown.

For use with the frame I provide a series of ten laminar devices or tablets, Figs. 3 and 4, each comprising a holding strip 54 and a laterally-projecting tongue 55. The holding strip 54 is marked with a numeral 56 and the projecting tongue 55 ofeach tablet of the set has a depth corresponding to the denomination on the numeral 56 marked on the holding strip, for example the upper holding strip 54 of Fig. 3 is marked with numeral 1 and itslateral projecting tongue 55 has a depth approximately equal to one-tenth the height of the slot 47 of Figs. 1 and 2. The laminar tablet marked with an enlarged numeral 2 has-a projecting tongue whose depth corresponds to two-tenths the height of the slot 47 and so on, as will be readily appreciated by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings. The numeral is marked on both sides of a tablet and on each side the numeral and projecting tongue are coloured in the same colour different from the rest of the tablet, the

colour used to mark the numeral and the projecting tongue on the front of the tablet being different from that used to mark them on the back of the tablet, the numeral also being printed in inverted positions onthe two sides as clearly shown inFigsQ3 and 5.

The length of the projecting tongues 55 is approximately equal to the lateral extent of the slot 47 so that one or two tablets can be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 6 with the edge of the holding strip 54 abutting against one of the stops 44,45, in which circumtongue 55 of tablet No. 3. Thus,the value 7 of all digits up to 10 is readily taught and visualized, the pupil also learning to allot in the design a fixe d position for each digit 1n the seriesot ten, in a manner which-enables him to, appreciate their concrete values.

Further, if numbers have already been taught by rule ofthumbmethod, the use of the apparatus in this manner is so psycho- "lo 'icalh desi ned as to ensure that the,

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' for example 4, is taken and inverted, its pro childs appreciation of his teaching is psychologically correct.

In order to teach addition, a second tablet jecting tongue being inserted in the slot and I the tablet being then pushed down as far as willgo; the pupil then sees thethree lower holes presenting thecolour of the obverse sideot the tablet 3 and the 'four next holes presenting the different colour of the reverse side of tablet 4c and by reading oil the figure .,7 marked on the front plate 11 of the guide it sees that the addition ot3 and l is 7 fur makeup the sum.

ther realizing the, concrete values which Subtraction on the othero hand may be taught by inserting a tablet, for example number 7 in .theguide so' that seven holes are displayed and then coveringup with the fingers, for example, two holes which are counted out, the pupil being then asked to holes through which read oil" the number" of the colour is displayed.

It. should here be mentioned that when the 1 tablets are withdrawn the colour displayed through the holes in the upper guide is required to be a different colour from that on either the obverse or reverse of the tongues 55, although it may be the same colour as the general colour of the guide or not as foundmost convenient.

To teach the rudiments of division, I furth er provide for use with the guide, the tab-" let illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 having a hold" ing strip and projecting tongues 61, 62

extending at each side thereof. The size of each'tongue 62, 61 agrees: with the size of the slot il and each tongue is printed in two 001-.

ours appearing in alternate bandswhich are of equal depth on any given tongue, but are 7 of diilerent depths as between one tongue and another. In the form shown, the two faces of the two tongues permlt of bands being used which have a depth of two, three,

through adjacent equal groups of two of the holes in plate 4-1, five such bands appearing, thus showing that there are five groups of 2 ,in numeral 10. One ofthe colours of the bands may be that of the holding strip 60 so that only one printing impression requires to be takenon the tablet of Figs; 7 and 8, although both colours are preferably different from the colour of the upper face or" the 1 number holes 41.

Turning now'to Fig. 9, I here illustrate a plate 42 displayed through the I modification oil the guide in which the stops 44-, l5 are dispensed with so that the slot 47 runs the whole length of the guide. For use with this device, I provide two strips 7 O,

71 equal in width to the width of theslot. In this case it is important that the upper face of bottom plate 42 should be separately coloured with a colour, for example green, which is diiierenttrom-tlie neutral or insignificant colour of the general get-up of the guide and strip i is also col0ure(l,for

example red, differently from the colour green normally. displayed by the empty guide. trip 71, however, bears the neutral or insignificant colour of the general get-up oi" the guide;

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To teach the value of numbers, the red strip70 is placed inthe guide, and the pupil is asked to. show 2, 3, 5, etc, red spots. V. ith this strip in position strip 71 with its neutral colour is inserted downwardlyiin the upper part of slot 4.7 and pushed downwardly until, for example, three green spots are left un covered, the student can then appreciate that 3 and 4 make 7.

Subtraction may be taught asin the tormer case by. showing, seven red spots with strip 70, covering up two with the fingers and asking for the remainder to. be named. Alternatively, strip 71 may be used to cover up three green spots, thus leaving seven displayed; The red ,strip .70 isthen used to change two green spots into red, and the number of green spots left is the answer to ingthe same he is enabled to visualize the concrete values of the processes he performs, impressing them on his memory 1n an indelible andvivid manner such as will enable him to readily recall witha minimum amount llll of diiiiculty all that has been committed to his memoryin case ofneed. a

Itis to be understood that the forms shown where the holes are confined to 10 are illustrative and not limitative of the in vention, and that other forms may be em ployed'wherein the two sets of ten holes are combined together in one guide, so that ad ditions whose sum exceedslO may be carried out, and it is to be understood that the fol-' lowing claims are to be interpreted in the light of such variations as properly fall within their defining ambit.

It is further remarked that whilst the guides illustrated are understood to be made up of separate members 41, .42. 43 constructed of paper, board or the like the invention is not limited to that form of construction, for example, a guide may be formed or moulded in a single piece provided that the front plate and back plate are laterally of unequal widths asillustrated.

I claim 1. Appliance for teaching arithmetic comprising a guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate, a spacing strip between said front and rear plates arranged to leave a slot between the two plates, 10 holes pierced in said front plate over saidv slot said holes being arranged in two groups of 5, the holes of each group being arranged on an obtuse angle, and the two groups being stepped laterally relatively to each other..

2. Appliance for teaching arithmetic comprising a guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate, a spacing strip between said front and rear plates arranged to leave a slot between the two plates. 10 holes pierced in said front plate orer said slot said holes being arrangedin two groups of 5, the holes of each group being arranged on an obtuse angle and surrounded by a marked border having lines parallel. to the arms of the obtuse angle.

3. Appliance for teaching arithmetic comprising a guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate, a spacing strip between said front and rear plates arranged to leave a slot between the two plates, an upper and a lower stop to said slot, 10 holes pierced in said front plate over said slot, said holes being arranged in two groups of 5, the holes of each group being arranged on an obtuse angle. 7

A. Appliance for teaching arithmetic comprising a guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate, a spacingstrip between said front and rear plates arranged to leavea slot between the two plates, 10 holes pierced in said front plate over said slot, and a setprojecting part, the devices of said set being selectively inserted in said slot for display of a colour through as manyholes of'said front plate as are denominated by said number in each case. 1 I

5. For use in' apparatus as claimed in claim 7 a laminar device displaying numbers on its back and front, said numbers and its laterally projecting part'being differently coloured on the back from on the front. v

6. An appliance for teaching arithmetic comprising a guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side laterally beyond the front plate, a spacing strip be tween said front and rear plates arranged to leave a slot between the two plates, ten holes pierced in said front plate over said slot, a laminar device insertible in said slot for display through said pierced front, said device having the four faces of its two longitudinal edge margins coloured in bands of alternate colourings, each band being adapted to display alternative colours through adjacent equal groups of said holes, the groups for each of the four faces being numerically different.

7. Appliance for teaching arithmetic having 5 similar characters arranged on the arms of an obtuse angle of nearly 180 corresponding to the angle of the imprint of the finger-tips.

8. Appliance for teaching arithmetic having two groups of 5 similar characters arranged on the arms of an obtuse angle of nearly 180 corresponding to the angle of the imprint of the finger-tips the groups being stepped laterally relatively to each other. I

9. In an appliance for teaching arithmetie, a guide member comprising a front plate, a rear plate having one edge extended beyond the similar edge of the front plate, a spacing strip between the plates to define a slot between the plates, the front plate being formed with ten holes over the slot, and a laminar device adapted to be supported on the extended portion of the rear plate and having a colored margin for insertion in said slot to display a color through the holes therein overlying said margin.

10. In an appliance for teaching arithmetic, a guide member comprising a front plate, a rear plate having one edge extended beyond the similar edge of the front plate, a spacing strip between the plates to .define a slot between the plates, the front plate being formed with ten holes over the slot, and a laminar device adapted to be supported on the extended portion of the rear plate and having a colored margin for insertion in said slot to display a color through the holes therein overlying said margin, that portion of the laminar device bearingonthe rear plate having a number ti -corresponding to thenumber of openings in the dfront plate through which the color of i the marginiof the laminar device is Visible.

, plate, a spacingstrip between said :front and 11,; In an appliance for teaching arithme "ti e guide having a front plate, a rear plate extending at one side beyond the front ..p1ate,each ,edgemarg n being.- adapted to display difierentfl colors through the,=.-h0les,

the colored portion of one Inargindifiering in lengthwfrom the colored 'portion of the other margin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

v ALFRED: COOPER. 

